Dark Shines
by cal.grab
Summary: Passing by you light up my darkest skies, you take only seconds to draw me in. So be mine and your innocence I will consume.
1. Lookin' Like a Pro

A prologue that is. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

Disclaimer: What the hell am I doing? I wish I knew. Bear with me.

* * *

**London**. Who would ever find her here? Nineteen days past her 21st birthday, and she was free. Well, when her broken nose healed she would be free enough. The scars would take much longer. She had a decent amount of money and a duffle bag with a pair of jeans, two pairs of leggings, and an array of long sleeved shirts. Oh her back was a sweatshirt, a chambray, leggings, and an old pair of Frye boots, her mother's. The only pair of shoes she managed to bring with her. Now all she had to do was disappear.

* * *

Easier said than done.

* * *

No one told her that London was an expensive city to live in. Hell, she wasn't even sure anyone from Mystic Falls had ever been to London. With empty pockets, and the last of her money going toward the night she spent in her hotel room, she packed her belongings, turned over the key card, and was on her way. She wasn't in a seedy part of London, but it was just the right place to find a cheap pub. No one told her that the exchange rate from American dollars to British pounds was outrageous. But she pulled out her remaining twenty pounds, and went to get a beer. Well deserved if you asked her.

Too bad she didn't notice the man who placed his eyes on her the second she walked in. Nor did she notice the man in the corner, dressed in black, who also had an eye on her. A pretty young thing, not dressed for the weather, looking all Scarlett Johansson from the first Avengers movie. Blonde would have suited her better, both men thought.


	2. Natural Disaster

"Hey girlie, where ya from?" Caroline's head snapped up from the pint she was drinking, heart pounding. When she realized that it was an innocent question, she calmed and gave the grizzled, old bartender a smile; she paused though, not wanting to give the man any hint of her origins. Running a hand through her new short, red hair she thought quickly, but not quickly enough. "I see how it is, not wantin' to give me the real thing. Ya runnin' from somethin' girlie?" She sighed, already she couldn't keep this act up, and nodded at the man. He grinned at her and pointed down the smoky bar to a figure sitting in the corner, hunched over something. Caroline could tell the figure was a he, but dressed in black in the dark bar, that was all she could discern. "Ya should talk to him if you're runnin' from somethin'. Bloke's got a past as dark as it comes, not that'll say anythin'." The man continued to grin as he winked at Caroline and walked down to tend to some other customers.

Caroline continued to look at the man in the corner, itching to see his face, but after a few moments, she gave up. She had other things to worry about, money for instance. Three days in London and she was already almost out. Never having held a job before, all she could do was rely on her paltry inheritance, and now that was almost gone, she didn't know what to do.

"Excuse me?" She asked in a small voice, wincing. This isn't me, she thought, I am not a small voiced girl, is this what I've been reduced to? The bartender looked up sometime during her internal monologue and wandered back over to her. "I need a job, is there anything you can recommend? I have no experience." The bartender's smile faded as he looked back over to the corner where that man was sitting. Caroline followed his gaze, but still could see nothing.

"Aye girlie, I know of something. I got one requirement though for ya though." Caroline nodded quickly, already enjoying the prospect of money. "Ya can't like 'im. Ever. And if ya ever fall in love with the bloke, God rest yer soul, ya hear me?"

"That shouldn't be a problem, do you know what the job is?" Caroline was practically begging now, something she would have never seen herself doing before. Caroline didn't beg, Caroline demanded.

"A model for art or somethin'. Bloke's got money apparently, never held a real job in his life. Before I call 'im over here, I want you to know, he's a good guy, just a bit rough around the edges." Caroline nodded again, willing to do anything at this point. But what if he wanted her to be naked, she paused. That would be…problematic. A job that required no experience though? She'd have to suck it up. She watched at the old man walked over to the figure. She saw movement, but not his face before she noticed him stand. Quickly she turned her head back down to her beer, not wanting to be caught staring. Within minutes though, she felt someone sit down beside her, obviously male by the scent of him.

"Look at me." A quiet voice commanded, Caroline felt fear seep into her veins, but she looked up at the man and stared him straight in the eye. He was cute, she though, maybe not hot, but she could tell he didn't have a hard time getting women into his bed. He was older as well, late twenties, early thirties, she guessed. She was barely twenty one. A quick flash of her twenty first birthday flashed in her mind and she felt fear and shame contort her face before quickly looking down. Something he did not miss.

"I said look at me." He commanded again, once more in the quiet tone. Caroline felt tears fill her eyes, but she did as he commanded, and his face softened. She noticed a hand reach out for her and she braced herself, but as quickly as she saw the hand, it dropped. "What's the matter, little bird?" Her eyes closed and she winced as she felt one of her tears escape. This time she didn't notice the hand that came up to flick it away, but she flinched when it did. The man took it all in stride.

"You'll do, come with me." Again with the commanding tone. He stood and watched her, not noticing the old duffle she had been hiding under her feet. "You don't have a place to sleep, do you?" He sighed, almost glaring when she nodded. "I suppose that's fine if you stay with me, but it means that whenever I want to work, day or night, you'll be there." Her nod sealed her fate. He turned and started toward the door when she stuttered out, "Wait, what's your name?" He turned back and glanced her over.

"Niklaus. I prefer Nik. You'll be wanting me to ask your name?" She stilled, he seemed irritated. The last thing she needed was an irritated man. Of course, he seemed to notice and strode back to her, getting a little close for comfort. "I want to know your name little bird."

"Caroline." She choked out. He nodded before grabbing her hand that was not clutching at her duffle and led her out of the bar. It was still winter outside, Caroline didn't have a proper coat and she regretted that. There was only so much she could take when she fled though. She was reveling in the warmth in her hand, upset when it was suddenly gone. She kept her eyes downcast and brought her one free arm to rub her other arm, attempting to generate some warmth when a warm, heavy jacket was dropped onto her shoulders. Looking up, she saw that Nik was wearing a thin henley and his jacket was now wrapped around her shoulders. Before she could thank him, a cab pulled up and he pulled her to get in.

For the next thirty minutes, they traveled through fairly light traffic from Merton to and area she didn't recognize, but was definitely much nicer. Caroline was having a hard time bringing herself to look at Nik, every time she glanced away from the window he was studying her. She gave up after the first two tries and accepted, albeit uncomfortably, that he was just going to stare the whole time. "Where are we?" Caroline asked after the silent cab ride.

"Richmond area." Nik stated, pulling her into a ground floor flat after tossing a few notes to the cabbie. "It's only one bedroom and there's not really a couch." He said apologetically, taking her to the left once they entered. Caroline didn't know why he was apologizing; the place was stunning, although he was right. There wasn't a couch. Where there should have been a couch or even a living room area, it was a mass of art supplies, a large easel standing near the bay window. "I hope you don't mind, but I can sleep on the floor if you do." Caroline shook her head, not wanting to kick him out of her own bed. "Let's talk for a minute little bird, follow me." She followed him back down the small hallway to a large bedroom at the exact cleanliness level she would expect from a man. He sat on the bed and patted the spot beside him. Dropping her duffle, she moved to sit a few inches further from where he patted.

"Why are you so afraid of me? You shouldn't be scared little bird."

"I know." Nik looked at her, knowing she was lying, but decided to change the topic all the same.

"I'm going to guess you've never modeled." She nodded. "How do you feel about being naked?" She shrugged and he tilted his head back and laughed. "Little bird, I'm going to need more than nods and shrugs."

"Why do you keep calling me that?" She questioned quietly. He moved closer to her and watched as her flight response activated.

"Because I sense that you want to fly away, maybe even you already have." He mused, picking up a piece of her hair and twirling it thoughtfully between his fingers. He could practically hear her heart beating out of her chest. "Let's try something little bird. Stand up and take off your shirt." Nik felt her freeze. "Let's do tit for tat, love. Take off your shirt and I'll take off mine. If you're going to be my model, you've got to at least do that." Caroline closed her eyes before letting out a deep breath. She stood up and quickly removed her shirt, eyes still clamped shut. Moments after she heard a noise and slowly opened her eyes to find that Klaus had made good on his deal. Caroline kept her eyes on his face as he looked at her body, he was making note of every scar she had kept hidden under her long sleeved shirt.

"Turn around." He was whispering now, that scared her, but she did as he asked. The marks littering her body were raised and red, obviously new, but mixed with very old scars. She was close enough to touch, but he knew it would startle her, so instead he stood, making sure to make enough noise as much as possible. "Can I?" She didn't move and he took that as a positive, reaching his hand out to stroke a particularly nasty scar. Taking her shoulders, he spun her back around and noticed the tears streaking her face. "Who did this?" Caroline shook her head adamantly. "Fine," he sighed, he couldn't move a mountain in a day. "Will you take off your bra then?" He kept his hands on her shoulders but she still wouldn't look him in the eye. "Caroline, love, if you're going to do this, I'm going to need to see you." Her shoulders rose up, as if she were about to sigh, but instead she reached around and unsnapped her bra, moving her arm to cover her chest.

Nik took her hands, removing them from her torso, and pulled her to the bed, positioning her as though she was sleeping. He held up a finger to insinuate that she shouldn't move before stepping out of the room. He returned moments later with a small bag of charcoal and a pad of paper. Sitting on the other side of the bed, he began to sketch. "Keep your eyes open love. Look at me." He murmured while staring at her the entire time. It made her nervous, but she did as he asked.

How was she not supposed to like this man? She hardly knew him, and yet he knew her better than the ex boyfriend she had behind in the US. Tyler had never seen her without a shirt, the reason he had broken up with her. He was a sexually active young man, and she was fucked up. "Don't." Nik suddenly commanded, startling her. "Don't think about it. That helps. Think about where you are now, and create new memories. Think about those." Caroline didn't think she could.

She didn't remember closing her eyes, or the noise of the notebook being set down on the ground. She didn't feel the dip in the bed, or the covers that were pulled up around her. She didn't feel or hear anything until morning.

"I'm in love with you," she heard the voice as clear as day.


	3. Uno

"Fucking Kitty." Caroline snapped up realizing where she was, and what she was not wearing. What she didn't realize was who the woman in the hallway was. Or why she was sleeping topless next to a man she just met who was cussing at a woman in his home. Pulling the sheets up around her front, she frantically began to look for her bra and shirt. She knew this would happen: the man she went home with was probably married or a serial killer. Both things she didn't want to deal with. She could hear to woman continuing to talk as she flew from the bed, scrambling for her shirt.

The footsteps were getting closer. The waterworks were beginning. Nik was behind her, murmuring something. Filthy cheater.

"BUT YOU'RE PERFECT TO ME!" The door flung open, and there she was. Caroline was still shirtless, clutching at the sheet, Nik was worrying over her, and there was the woman. Girl? Caroline corrected herself, the girl at Nik's bedroom door couldn't be older than sixteen. Oh God, he was a pedophile. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" She waggled her eyebrows and popped out the coral colored ear buds.

She wasn't mad? In fact, she looked happy.

"How many damn times have I told you to knock Kitty?" Nik was shaking his head, clearly pissed at the young girl. "Caroline, this is Kitty, my assistant who likes to ignore common courtesy and belt horrific pop songs at 7 in the morning. Kitty, can you please give us a moment and make breakfast or something?" It made sense. Well, as much sense as it was going to make. Kitty let out a seal like laugh and bowed out of the room. Caroline looked at Nik, and he at her.

Kitty's singing interrupted the silence. "Up in my head I'm your boyfriend, but that's one thing you've already got!" Nik put his head in his hands, clearly frustrated by the off key assistant.

"I'm really sorry Caroline, unfortunately I gave the brat a key so she could do some picking up. As you can see, that didn't work out so well."

"Are you a pedophile?" Caroline squeaked out. Nik looked at her blankly and a bark of laughter came from just outside the door.

"I swear to God Kitty!" Nik hollered. Caroline could hear the girl's laugh fade a bit. "No, nothing has ever happened between Kitty and I, nor will anything ever happen. Kitty lives down the road and I stupidly hired her to help me out with mundane tasks, which, as you can see, she does terribly at. I probably shouldn't leave her in the kitchen too long in fact." Nik began to look worried. "She's also nineteen, so I don't think I could be considered a pedophile at this point." Caroline just nodded, at a loss of what to say. Nik handed her the bra she had been groping around for and when to get a fresh shirt for himself.

"We'll pick up some stuff while we're out and you can shower then if you want. God knows Kitty hasn't made breakfast, so we'll have to go get something." Caroline nodded and struggled into a button down she had dug out of her duffle. Struggling because Nik had his beautifully tattooed back to her. She had to squash the desire to trace those lines. Caroline reminded herself that she wasn't normal and couldn't go around acting like a woman her age. Nik turned to her and held out his hand. She took it as gingerly as possible and followed dumbly to the kitchen.

"Hello lovebirds." Kitty smirked. Caroline hadn't gotten a chance to fully look at the girl, but now was able to give her a quick once over. If Caroline looked closely enough, Kitty looked like a girl she went to high school with. Elena maybe? Elena wouldn't be caught dead in a calf length kilt paired with a see through cream tank top and black bra though. Caroline was pretty sure no one would, except this girl. Caroline couldn't tell much about Kitty by her look, perched on the counter, which needed a good scrub if anyone asked Caroline, except that she was very pretty, beautiful even. Caroline looked down at herself and was a bit embarrassed. Kitty and Nik were both gorgeous people, albeit odd, and she clearly didn't fit in. She wasn't pretty or outspoken, and most of all Caroline didn't have friends. She also didn't have a bed to sleep in, the biggest factor in this situation.

"No, you aren't coming, this is girl time." Caroline looked up when Kitty lept off the counter, teetered in her heels for a minute, before putting her hands on her hips when Nik began to protest. "Girl time Nik! Dammit!" He gave her a look that would have killed the girl if possible. Kitty gave him a look right back and held out a hand.

"Really?" He gave her his most incredulous look. She nodded, and sighing, he slipped a card into her hand.

"Come along Caroline. I've got a lot of work to do." Kitty turned her glare on Caroline's body, looking her up and down. Kitty grabbed Caroline's wrist and began pulling her to the front door. Caroline turned her head and noticed Nik's worried look. Oh God, Caroline thought to herself, Kitty was a sublime creature, beautiful and absolutely terrifying. But mostly terrifying. Caroline tripped down the front steps as Kitty pulled her along in her teetering high heels, and couldn't help but notice Kitty's distaste at her clumsiness. But that was before Kitty revealed possibly the most terrifying thing about Kitty. She drove a goddamn motorcycle. Not a scooter, or a Vespa, but a fucking Harley.

"My baby," Kitty purred, pulling her helmet on top of her bun. She passed a plain black helmet to Caroline, who stared at it for a beat. Kitty pursed her lips and began to fasten the thing onto Caroline's head, while Caroline balked. "Climb on, let's lesbian this shit up!" Kitty was a bit too excited for this. Caroline swung her leg over the side, confused as to what to do next when Kitty grabbed her arms and wrapped them around her waist, before revving the engine and tearing off down the road.

If Caroline thought Kitty was terrifying before, she didn't know what to think anymore. She drove like a bat out of hell, and Caroline held onto the tiny girl's waist for dear life. Thankfully the ride was short, and Kitty was able to swing into a small spot. Caroline quickly unlocked her arms from Kitty's waist and undid her helmet before she was, once more, dragged somewhere, this time into an oriental looking store.

"You like tea?" Kitty asked, leading her up to a small counter and grabbing a booklet.

"I'm not really sure." Caroline felt so stupid, but Kitty seemed to shrug it off.

"We'll take a large pot of dark rose and a sampler of the breakfast things in the case." This wasn't a request; Caroline and the guy at the counter knew it. Before the poor guy could say anything, Kitty sauntered off to a long dining table, passing the floor cushions and couches with Caroline following behind her.

"Before I ask you your life story, I'm going to tell you mine. Mainly because I feel like it, partly because I doubt I'm going to get much from you." Caroline nodded and waited for Kitty to begin. "For starters, my name it Katherine Pierce, from a small as fuck town in Virginia. The rest you'll have to play tit for tat to get from me." Kitty grinned, having attempted to hook Caroline into asking for more.

"Where in Virginia?" Caroline asked before she could stop herself. Kitty's scary grin got even scarier.

"Mystic Falls. Remember me Miss Forbes?" Caroline grew really pale. She knew why Kitty looked so familiar all of a sudden.

"Katherine Gilbert?"

"I was wondering when you'd get it. I knew you the second I saw you wrapped in Nik's sheets. Small world, I thought to myself, but then you didn't recognize me. Of course not though, you were the head cheerleader, and my sister was just a pawn to you. Remember Elena? She was devastated when you benched her for the whole season her freshman year. But then you disappeared your senior year, just after your mom died. Where did you go Caroline Forbes? And why are you appearing now without your blonde hair and short skirts?" Kitty's once semi-friendly tone became suddenly icy. Caroline was as pale as the ice in her tone. Kitty just smiled, "you won't tell me, will you? Playing the victim now I see. I'll get it out of you eventually. Until then, you'd do well to tread carefully. I do have some control over Nik, you know."

"I," Caroline started, wanting to redeem herself, but her vocal chords froze.

"Exactly." Kitty frowned. The poor guy from the counter stopped to put the tray of food and tea down, before Kitty declared his dismissal with a wave of her hand. She poured the tea for both her and Caroline and went about taking a bite from some tiny pastry. "First, we're going to the salon, that color doesn't suit you. You're also going to need a full body wax if Nik is going to have anything to do with you." Caroline began to stammer at that, but Kitty hushed her quickly, "You're getting a wax or you're not getting the damn job. Now, You're going to need some clothing as well, and don't open your mouth, it's for the job." Kitty picked up Caroline's hand that was resting on the table, "nails too, I see." She commented disdainfully. "Any tattoos?" Caroline shook her head. "Eat, unless you're too good for this food?"

"You don't have to be outright mean." It didn't come out as forcefully as she intended, more as a question, and Caroline winced. Kitty gave her a questioning look.

"What happened to you, Caroline Forbes?" Kitty had a bit more sympathy in her voice now, but it was still laced with a bad taste. Caroline looked down and took a sip of her tea. "You're supposed to put sugar in it." Kitty deadpanned when Caroline's nose wrinkled at the taste of the tea. "If you're going to live in England of all places, you're going to have to learn to make tea. Dark rose is Nik's favorite by the way." Kitty took a bite of something oozing a deep red gel and looked up at Caroline, "hurry up, we've got work to do." Caroline began to sip more quickly and shovel the sugary things into her mouth. This was the best she had eaten in years, and Kitty saw this. Kitty really began to wonder about the girl that Nik had taken in, the once awful girl that she knew from high school. When Caroline had completely cleared the tray, much to her own embarrassment, Kitty stood and Caroline took that as a sign the she should do the same. Kitty paid quickly with the little black card that Nik had handed her, and Caroline followed the taller girl out.

Kitty managed to maintain Caroline's stride as they walked down the sidewalk, though she clearly wanted to walk much faster. They walked in silence, partly out of fear, partly from curiosity, until Kitty grabbed Caroline's wrist and pulled her into a mobile phone store. Kitty took a quick look around before marching up to the counter, pulling a reluctant Caroline behind her.

"Hi, I'm going to need to set up an iPhone 5 on a previously existing account? The name is on the card." Caroline stood next to Kitty and watched the sales girl falter. "Caroline, go look at something while I handle this." Caroline was glad to have a chance to look at the new technology. She hadn't had a phone in years, and everything was so much smaller. She was so absorbed in the touch screens, she didn't notice Kitty saunter back over with a bag and a thin phone. "I got you gold, Nik and I have black ones. Hopefully we can tell the difference between them. I programmed mine and Nik's number in it, be sure to text him." Caroline looked down at the thing that Kitty had handed her. "When I said that I meant now."

"I don't know…"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me. Samantha!" Caroline felt herself flush as the sales girl practically tripped on her own two feet to answer Kitty's call. "Please teach her how to use a phone." Kitty was pissed now, and the other two girls knew it. Samantha gave Caroline a quick run down on the phone, while Kitty waited impatiently. It was fairly easy, once she got the hang of it, and Caroline shot off a quick text to Nik, informing him of her new phone, making sure he knew that it was Kitty's idea.

_It's fine. There's no reining her in. _He responded quickly, and left Caroline fumbling as she followed Kitty across the street. Caroline wasn't paying attention to where they were going, but looked up at the desk, after opening Nik's text. She paled quickly when the word 'wax' fell off of Kitty's tongue.

"Don't argue." Kitty glared when the woman began to lead them down a darkened hallway. Caroline could feel her heart accelerate rapidly, and sweat began to bead on her forehead.

"Please remove all clothing and put on the robe, Charlotte will be right with you." The woman had opened a door and signaled that they should go into the room. Caroline didn't move a muscle and Kitty dragged her in. Caroline looked alarmed when Kitty shut the door, wasn't she supposed to leave? Kitty stared her down.

"Take off your clothes Caroline."

"I can't."

"Do it, or all of this, goes away." Caroline closed her eyes, attempting to stop the tears. "Caroline, I've seen naked women before, calm your tits." Kitty sat down on a stool, folding her arms, and continuing to stare her down. It's now or never Caroline, she thought to herself. She needed this job, what the hell else could she do? Taking the plunge, she began removing all of her clothing, keeping her eyes shut. She didn't want to see the pity in Kitty's death glare.

"The fuck happened to you?" She heard Kitty, sounding much softer now. She kept her mouth shut, slid into the robe, and sat on the table. "Nik'll kill them for you, you know. I'm pretty sure he's killed someone before." Kitty offered. Caroline refused to open her mouth or her eyes. If she kept them closed, none of this was real.

Caroline entered a haze, something she was very familiar with. She vaguely heard the attendant enter, she felt the pain everywhere, as every hair was removed from her body. She felt the hot wax and the paper shape her eyebrows. She didn't make a sound though. She wasn't there. Kitty watched on, somewhat in horror as Caroline didn't make a peep. Something had happened when Caroline disappeared four years ago, something Kitty didn't understand. And when Kitty didn't understand things, it freaked her the fuck out. She watched Caroline robotically put her clothes back on, before it hit her that it was over.

"Let's go get our nails done." Kitty said quietly, looking for any response on Caroline's face. There wasn't any. Kitty watched Caroline while the manicurist shaped and painted her fingernails and toe nails, Kitty had ordered tips to be sharpened into dull points and painted in the French style. Kitty also ordered the women to dye Caroline's short hair back to it's natural blonde and the ends to be evened out. Caroline stared straight ahead the entire time. Looking at her phone, Kitty saw that it was nearly 11. She unlocked it and placed a call from her recent list. "Nik, can you meet us for lunch? Yea, that'll work. See you soon." Caroline didn't notice. When the stylists had finally finished, several hours later, Kitty admired her work. "Much better. Can we put some make up on her face though?" Once more, it wasn't a question. "Make it light." The receptionist ran off to find the consultant, leaving Caroline in the chair, just staring. When the two appeared, Kitty told the older woman to make it quick while she went to pay. She picked up a few essentials for Caroline, shampoo and conditioner, eyeliner, mascara, and a tube of lip gloss. The bill was hefty, but beauty was wasn't cheap. That would be her argument with Nik.

"Come on Caroline, let's go get some lunch." She pulled the girl from the chair and down the street. "Nik! Hello darling!" He was sitting inside of a small pub, beside the window. He stood when the two had walked in, and was on the receiving end of Kitty's kiss on the cheek.

"What's wrong with Caroline?" He was quick to ask when Caroline continued to stare straight ahead. Kitty sighed and launched into the story of what happened, leaving out her confrontation of Caroline at the tea shop. Nik moved to sit next to Caroline, as Kitty detailed what they had done. He pulled Caroline's chair around so she was facing him and took both of her hands. "Come back, little bird." Caroline could feel his thumbs running over her hands. The sides of his thumbs were calloused, and she tried to focus on his voice. "No one is going to hurt you little bird. Not here." He felt her hands begin to shake, and noticed her leaning forward. She was moving too fast, he dropped her hands and reached up to grab her shoulders as her momentum increased. Shifting forward on his seat, he wrapped his arms around her as she shook. Kitty watched on in alarm. "Caroline?" He asked, shifting her backward so he could see her face.

"I'm fine," she stuttered, looking down, embarrassed. Nik nodded and let her turn her chair back to the table as he did the same.

"Everything ok?"

"We're fine, Cammy. Three orders of fish and chips. And bring a new bottle of malt vinegar." Kitty demanded at the girl. Nik glared at Kitty.

"Hang on Cammy," he stood and followed the girl. Caroline was still looking down.

"I'm sorry." Her head shot up to look at Kitty. "I was a bitch before, I don't know what you've been through, and I shouldn't have been so quick to judge."

"Thank you," Caroline whispered, and turned to look at Nik and Cammy, following Kitty's gaze. She was surprised to see his hand on her arm, a warm gesture, and felt her face flush.

"Bitch has been trying to get in his pants for over a year now." Kitty snapped, looking at the pained look on Caroline's face. "I'm not paying if it takes any longer to get the fucking order in." Kitty said loudly, earning a blush from Cammy and a glare from Nik. Kitty smiled prettily at the two as Cammy moved toward the kitchen, and Nik back over to the table. "What were you two talking about?" Kitty rested her chin in her hand, faking interest as Nik continued to glare.

"She was asking if I was free tonight, to which I said that I wasn't." He turned his head to dismiss the dark haired girl, and turned to face Caroline, "you look lovely," he picked up a piece of her short hair. "Blonde suits you much better. Although your nails are terrifying." He smiled at her. Caroline about died at his dimples. All she could think about was running them down his back. Attempting to kill that thought, she took a peek at Kitty, Caroline was almost positive that the girl's face was about to split open.

"She got a full wax today Nik." Kitty was now looking a bit crazed and Caroline was the color of her red flannel button down. She couldn't bear to look at Nik even though she knew that he had seen it all before.

"I'm pretty sure Stefan is here Kitty." Caroline looked up from the table to see Kitty flush the same color she was. Caroline felt a warm breath on her ear shortly followed by goose bumps on her arms. "Kitty likes Stefan." Nik whispered. "Why don't you go say hi?" He asked Kitty, still extremely close to Caroline. Kitty shot Nik her worst look before swinging her hips over to the bar. "I've finally got you alone little bird." God, Caroline though, can my face get any more red?

"Not quite alone!" Cammy giggled, bringing over the tray of food. "So how do you know Nik?" The blonde grinned at Caroline.

"I'm his new model." Caroline stated when he looked expectantly at her.

"All shiny and smooth. We got waxes and mani/pedi's today!" Kitty had sauntered back over and was clearly trying to make Cammy feel uncomfortable. It worked, when the poor girl stammered out something about other customers and ran off. "So," Kitty began, ignoring Nik's seething glare, "Miss Forbes and I are…shit." Kitty blanched when she realized that she had spilled Caroline's secret.

"Forbes? I was wondering what your family name was." Nik was looking out the window now.

"I had to ask to get the phone plan. So what are you doing tonight anyway Nik?" Kitty played off her slip pretty well.

"Working at the shop. I assume you'll be here Kitty?" Nik questioned with a cheeky look. Kitty gave him a coy grin in return and bit into a chip soaked in vinegar.

"Bring Caro with you tonight! She needs a little somethin' somethin'."

"Bring me where?" After the time she had spent with Kitty, she was a little worried when the girl actually got excited about something.

"Nik here works at a tattoo parlor, tatting up the good citizens of London. Let him mark you." Kitty winked suggestively.

"I don't…"

"Caro, let him mark you." Kitty's tone didn't leave much argument as the dark haired girl mauled a piece of fired fish.

"Only if you want, love." Nik offered, moving closer to Caroline, something that didn't go unnoticed by everyone. Caroline returned a small smile, but said nothing as she once more plowed into her food. Nik eyed the piece of fish enviously.

"So Caro, you want to go to Agent Provocateur?" Kitty waggled her eyebrows, causing Nik to choke on a chip. Caroline cocked her head, as if to ask what that was while Nik pounded on his chest. "Darling Nik, would you care to explain?" Kitty literally purred.

"It's a uh…" he coughed once more, "a lingerie shop." Caroline turned red and looked down quickly.

"Yes, that's exactly where we'll go." Kitty seemed thoughtful. "Eat up Caro, we've got work to do." Kitty shoved a few chips in her mouth, grabbed Caroline, and they were out the door. "Ta Stefan!" Nik heard faintly. He could only put his head in his hands as the two scampered off. This could only end badly.


	4. Hysteria

"I want everything in red and navy, and a little bit of black. We're talking classy, not cheesy. You slip a damn pasty into that pile, I'll use that whip on you six ways to Sunday. And it won't be fun. Also, I've been eyeing that crystal collar…" Caroline couldn't look, so she kept her eyes on the ground. It was still awful. "Caro! Come here, I need to measure your neck!" Kitty turned to look at the poor blushing girl. Kitty had intended to make her as uncomfortable as possible, but after her reaction at the wax parlor, Kitty thought better of herself. "Grab me that robe in a small and wrap everything up. You can guess her size." Kitty handed one of the bustling girls the card she still had from Nik, and tapped her foot impatiently until three large bags decorated her forearm. "Come on Caro, let's get you something other than those awful jeans and flannels. Maybe some shoes too…" Kitty sniffed.

The next several hours were a blur for Caroline, but Kitty was clearly in her element. From high-end stores, to thrift shops, Kitty was able to build a working wardrobe for Caroline that was eclectic enough for a model, and workable enough for everyday. Some of the articles of clothing were risqué, others more concealed, all of it was pure Kitty, and though Caroline could see elements of her former self in what Kitty was trying to pick up she was beginning to feel true fear at what Kitty was grabbing. She was going to have to wear this stuff? This was going to be hellish.

* * *

"Caro, take a cab back to Nik's. Here's fifty pounds to get you back. I'd go with you, but I need to get my bike." Kitty apologized, loading Caroline down with every bag that she had collected, and pushing her toward the road and flagging down a cab. "Queens Road, Richmond Hill." Kitty yelled to the driver, shoving Caroline into the cab. "See you soon Caro." Caroline couldn't say much before the door slammed shut and the cab was speeding back to Nik's with no chance of escape. Kitty had parked a ways down, so she was going to be a while. And Caroline was going to be stranded with Nik. _On my way. _She texted Nik, so at least he could be prepared for her arrival.

* * *

And prepared he was, standing on the side of the road, ready to help her with her bags. Him in his black pea coat did funny things to her stomach. She wondered what he would think of the cape, pencil skirt, and new heels. She felt so British.

"Oh dear God, what did Kitty buy?" Nik looked exasperated, taking bags by the armful. He had opened her door when the cab stopped and helped her out.

"Everything I think." Caroline gave him a small grin, which he replied with a bright smile of his own. Caroline melted a little, reaching back into the cab to grab the remaining bags.

"So, I cleaned out some of the wardrobes for you, I was thinking you could put your new clothes away while I set up? I told Kitty not to come back today." Nik seemed slightly nervous. Caroline noticed that he had one of her lingerie bags in his hands. She couldn't imagine what was in there. Kitty had forced her into a new bra, one that wasn't a grungy nude, and where Caroline loved it, she didn't necessarily want Nik seeing it quite yet.

"Are we going to work today?" Caroline asked quietly. She followed him into the bedroom and noticed it was much cleaner. The curtains were open revealing a large window seat along one wall making the room much more bright and open. She also saw three of the five wardrobes that lined the adjacent wall were open, the built in shelving that she thought was a wall before was really lovely. She could see putting handles on the doors before squashing that image. Too familiar she thought. She was going to work for Nik until she got a fair amount of money before moving on. She couldn't stay here too long, and her putting pulls on the doors was too much.

"I was hoping so, we can start out slow though, how would you feel about posing in the window? You can be fully clothed." Nik was setting the bags on the made bed, partly mad at Kitty for spending so much damn money, partly pleased that Caroline now had more clothing than what she had in the tiny duffle.

"I can do that." Caroline gave Nik another small smile. He returned the smile, and left to get an easel from the other room, saying so before he walked out. Caroline turned to the bed full of bags and sighed. She grabbed one of the hangers he appeared to have bought for her and hung up her cape, exposing the blush colored blouse and the rest of her orange, high waisted pencil skirt. She wasn't sure what Nik would want to draw her in, so she began to unpack everything, looking up every time he wandered into the bedroom with something art related. After several trips from the other room, a few ripping noises, and a lot of shifting, he came over to look at her haul.

"I see Kitty went a little," he picked up some sort of chain type thing that Caroline could only guess about, "crazy."

"What is that?" Caroline gave into her curiosity.

"It's a uh, collar." He put it down as if it had burned him and Caroline felt her eyes widen. "We'll work up to that. Maybe not." He had noticed Caroline's terrified expression. "You ok?"

"I don't think I can do, um, chains." Caroline mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. She felt herself begin to sweat and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She could feel herself start to fade when two hands grabbed hers and pulled her to sit on the bed.

"What happened to you little bird?"

"I don't…"Caroline felt the potential words burn in her throat. "He hurt me." She whispered. Images of him, her mom's old handcuffs, and the chair all flashed behind her eyes. Her breathing sped up and the hands that held her limp, clammy ones gripped harder.

"Breathe. He can't hurt you, not with me." The distant voice soothed. She wasn't sure how long they sat there. They sky had been grey all day, and the position of the sun remained a mystery to her, but the room was only lit by streetlights now. "Come back to me little bird. You're ok." Nik's voice pulled her sharply from the fog, and it was as if her eyes had snapped open. He was leaning against the headboard, all of the clothes had been pushed off of the bed, and she lay in between his legs, her head resting on his lower stomach. She bolted up realizing their intimate position, but missing the warmth. Nik pulled his legs from around her and sat up, crossing them.

"I'm sorry,"

"It's no problem, please don't worry. Would you like something to eat?" Caroline nodded, feeling the hunger gnaw at her stomach. Nik got up, stepping over the clothing that littered the floor and motioned for her to follow him to the kitchen. "You cook?" He asked her, not looking back, forcing her to speak. She saw his tattoo peek out from the bottom of his shirt and paled.

"You have work!" She barked out.

"I called in sick, don't worry. Marcel can handle himself." Nik seemed completely unworried.

"I made you miss work?" Nik turned at the completely lost tone in her voice. She was wrapped up in her arms again and looking down, biting her lip.

"Please Caroline, it's not a problem, I didn't even have any appointments today, I was just going in to take care of the walk ins, nothing is wrong." He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him. "You didn't do anything wrong sweetheart. Now, I don't have much food, Kitty is supposed to take care of that sort of thing and well. You met her. So I have rice, noodles, and maybe some oatmeal."

"Do you have marinara? We could eat spaghetti?" Nik began to dig through the open cabinet before triumphantly pulling out a jar.

"Do you cook?" He asked her again, looking for a pot to boil the angel hair.

"No, I think I could burn water." She joked half-heartedly. "Do you have a table?" He looked at her and grimaced. "I'm guessing not?" He shook his head

"I normally eat in bed, or in my studio." He seemed embarrassed. If only Caroline could tell him that she was used to eating off of the floor, but she wouldn't. She smiled sweetly at him and told him it was fine, looking around. "You never went to get anything essential, did you?" He asked. She opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by her buzzing phone. _Slide to answer_, she read, sliding her finer along the green bar. Nik went back to watching the noodles boil and began to heat the sauce.

"Hello?" The name had said Kitty on the screen, but her voice still wobbled.

"You have a doctor's appointment at nine tomorrow morning. I'll pick you up at eight thirty. You're welcome." Kitty hung up and Caroline grew pale, imagining the doctor seeing her skin. The phone began to buzz again and Caroline was quick to answer Kitty again. "I'm going to schedule you another appointment with a counselor. No, you don't have a choice. Nik will take you; make sure he gets the information. I'll text it to you." She hung up again.

"Kitty?" Nik asked, assuming, "what did she want?"

"I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, she said she was taking me. She also said you're taking me to a counselor, and she'll text me the information." Caroline wasn't happy that she hadn't been asked about either appointment, and she always was poor at hiding her emotion in her voice. Nik turned back to the boiling water.

"Yea, she and I spoke about that. I'm taking you to the same guy I see." Nik admitted, and Caroline felt a tiny bit bad. "He's helped me a lot."

"What happened to you?" Caroline asked, raising her chin defiantly. If he wanted her to reveal what happened to her, he wasn't going to get out of it.

"Abusive father." He bit out; taking the box that was still half full back to its respective cabinet and slamming it shut.

"Yea, same." Caroline whispered, now embarrassed that she had made him mad. He turned to look at her, somewhat alarmed she had actually admitted it. Ignoring the noodles, he went to hug her, but she stepped back. "I don't want pity."

"It's not pity when it's mutual." Nik dropped his arms. He stared at her for a minute and went back to dinner. They stayed silent, the only sounds were of him making dinner. Pouring two bowls, he moved past her, back to the bedroom. She paused for a minute in the empty kitchen and followed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" She trailed off.

"It's fine." He shrugged, but she could still sense he was mad. Taking a deep breath, she took the two bowls from his hands and set them on the nightstand. She sat beside him, absolutely terrified of what she was about to do, and wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her head on his shoulder. She hated initiating contact. He waited a beat before kissing the top of her head and putting his arms around her as well. "Come on love, let's eat."

They had fallen asleep beside each other again, the one thing Kitty hadn't gotten her was anything appropriate to sleep in, so she was wearing an oversized shirt and sweatpants of Nik's. He had set an alarm for seven thirty, but she was up well before that. She had lain in bed for a while, staring at the ceiling before crawling out from underneath the warm blankets and setting to clean. Not wanting to wake Nik, she started with the kitchen. Not being able to find anything but some Clorox wet wipes under the sink, she set to scrubbing the counters, having to do the dusting with paper towels. The floors would have to wait until she could get a mop. She was scrubbing the inside of the fridge when Nk announced himself in the kitchen.

"It's eight, you should probably start getting ready." She turned to look at him, leaning against the doorway, while he looked at the clean kitchen.

"I couldn't sleep." She said as a way of apology, taking the wet wipe and throwing the soiled thing in the garbage.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm not complaining." He moved from the door way and into the living room, allowing her to scoot by. She moved to the bedroom and looked at all of the clothes on the floor. Picking up a pair of black leggings and a grey sweater, she put them on and pushed the rest of the clothing into a pile against her wardrobe. She'd deal with it later. Kitty would kill her though if she wasn't wearing make up, so she went to the bathroom and put some eyeliner on, skipping the mascara and lip gloss.

"You should put that gloss on." Caroline jumped about five feet in the air when Kitty's voice came from the doorway. "Ready Caro? I need to make a stop along the way." Caroline nodded, checking the time on her phone. 8:14. She put on the lip gloss as Kitty skipped away. Caroline went to grab the black pea coat she had seen in the pile of clothes, before meeting Kitty in the front hallway. She was dressed inappropriately again, in a black maxi skirt and a see through lace tank, with a leather jacket. "Let's go Caro!" Kitty busted out the front door, and Caroline turned to wave to Nik, who was standing in the doorway of his studio/living room. Following Kitty to the black bike, Caroline felt her nerves fire up in the form of a knot in her stomach. She did her best to ignore them, putting on the helmet and sliding on the back, wrapping her arms around Kitty's tiny waist. The knot became larger, the closer they got. Kitty made a stop at some store, forcing Caroline to wait outside, and soon they were on their way again, Kitty not giving Caroline a clue as to what was in the bag. She brought the bag into the doctor's office though, which struck Caroline as odd.

"Hi, welcome to Grey Ridge OBGYN, do you have an appointment?" The pretty blonde receptionist asked the two women.

"Yes, a nine a.m. for Miss Caroline Mathewson." Kitty said, winking at Caroline. Mathewson? Caroline though, Kitty had given her another name? The receptionist signed her in before Caroline realized where they were.

"OBGYN?" She turned her alarmed face to Kitty.

"Yup." Kitty popped the 'p'. "It's not that bad Caro, every woman needs to go." Kitty had picked up a magazine and was flipping through it. Caroline turned to face the wall and felt the knot grow even larger. It wasn't until a few minutes later, while Caroline was freaking out in her head, that her name was called. Kitty stood up and looked expectantly at Caroline. Caroline gave Kitty an unsure look and followed the two women back into a room.

"Are you two together?" The nurse asked. Kitty laughed and corrected the woman.

"Coworkers." The nurse raised an eyebrow, as if to ask why Kitty had come back for the exam, but Kitty ignored the woman and went to sit on the only chair in the room.

"If you could remove all of your clothing and put on the gown, open in the front." The nurse left after taking her weight and blood pressure, and Caroline began to remove her clothing. She wouldn't go into the fog this time, she told herself. Every woman had to do this, she wasn't an exception.

"Oh, I like that bra, it's cute on you!" Kitty grinned, pulling Caroline from her thoughts. Kitty was nodding somewhat alarmingly at Caroline before she turned back to her magazine. Caroline smiled after Kitty had looked down, and removed the rest of her clothes, quickly putting the gown on. They both looked up at the knock on the door.

"Hi I'm Jenna, you must be Miss Mathewson?" Jenna looked up from the file, and eyed Kitty curiously.

"Coworkers." Kitty responded, not even looking up. Jenna made a face and looked at Caroline with a smile.

"So, I just need some background information," Jenna began before launching into a full blown, and embarrassing investigation. Kitty choked on something when Caroline revealed she was a virgin, and signaled for the two to continue, coughing. "Ok, even though you're not sexually active, I'm going to have to do a physical. That ok?" Caroline nodded and braced herself. Shockingly it wasn't that bad. It was over pretty quickly, and she was allowed to get dressed again. Kitty had applauded when the whole thing was over, earning another strange look from Jenna. Once Caroline was dressed, and Kitty had handed over Nik's card to pay, Caroline didn't have insurance, Kitty handed her the bag. It was a pastry.

"I didn't want to give it to you before, just in case you threw up or something?" They walked out and Kitty pulled her to a bench so Caroline could eat. "Why London Caro?"

"I could escape." Caroline replied after she took a bite of the flaky bread. Kitty looked at her thoughtfully and waited for Caroline to finish. Kitty took Caroline back to Nik's and followed her in, only to find Nik at the door, pushing them both back out of the house.

"Why?" Kitty cried, when he shoved them into a cab he had called for earlier.

"We need groceries." Nik grumbled. Caroline was trapped in between the two, Kitty grumbling about actually to go to a grocery store and she wasn't actually sure what Nik's deal was. When she looked over at him, he was staring out the window with his hand under his chin. She shifted slightly, bumping him on the shoulder and smiling when he looked over. Nik returned her grin, but went right back to the window. Caroline looked on sadly, wishing she knew what he was thinking.

Nik was thinking about her. About how he desperately wanted to push the piece of hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear, and how her sweater was just low enough that, from his height, allowed him to admire her cleavage. Her red bra strap was showing, and her leggings made her ass look amazing. Nik was attracted to Caroline, but getting to know her was dangerous. He knew she had a lot of baggage, and that terrified him, not the baggage necessarily, but the idea of adding to that baggage. He would make a terrible boyfriend.

"Would you two snap out of it? We're here and this doesn't need to last any longer that it already is going to." Kitty snapped. Turning, she headed into the store not waiting for the other two to follow. "So Mr. Grumps," Nik and Caroline had caught up, "what do you two want to eat?" Nik tried to hand over a list. "You expect me to do this?"

"Yes Kitty, I do. I need to make some phone calls that you were supposed to take care of." He was mad, and Caroline shrank back a bit.

"Whoops." Kitty grinned. Nik gave her a nasty look, before stepping back out front. "Who put a bee in his bonnet?" Kitty rolled her eyes. "Why don't you take your script to the pharmacy and get whatever you need? I'll take care of the shopping." Kitty's game face was on, so Caroline nodded and went to find the pharmacy.

About a half an hour later, the two reappeared at the front of the store, and Nik was yelling on the phone. Kitty pulled a pen and the receipt from her purse and began to write something. Caroline stood back with the groceries, scared to approach a yelling Nik, the way his face contorted was terrifying. Kitty marched up to Nik, shoved the note in his hand, and stormed back to Caroline.

"Let's get a cab Caro, I told him we'd meet him at home." Kitty had her phone out and was calling a cab.

"Caroline," when she turned, Nik was striding toward her. She moved closer to Kitty and immediately regretted the gut reaction. She had never seen anyone look so hurt and it broke her heart. He stood for a minute before turning around and heading toward the street.

"Nik, wait!" She called, but if had no effect, he kept walking. Caroline watched until he had turned a corner. Kitty watched on, she felt pity for Nik but he had to know that when dealing with a fragile girl like Caroline, you had to tread carefully. Nik was going about it like a bull in a china shop. Kitty could tell the Nik liked Caroline, and she was nearly positive that Caro liked Nik, but she knew it would take a push for one of them to make a move. "I should go." Caroline had turned back to Kitty now.

"What?" Kitty was confused.

"I need to leave, this was a mistake. I should have interfered." Caroline was beginning to ramble, and Kitty put her hands on the poor girls shoulders.

"Caro, calm down."

"No, I need to get out of here." Caroline was almost frantic now, and the cab had just pulled up. Kitty face palmed mentally.

"Caro, help me get the damn groceries home, and then we can figure it out." Caroline told the sobbing girl. She loaded the groceries into the back with Caroline, and sat in front with a very alarmed cabbie. She gave the man the address and put her head in her hands. Caroline was curled up next to a loaf of bread, crying her heart out, and Kitty didn't do crying girls. She and the cabbie listened to a gut wrenching sobs that the small girl expelled the entire way back to the house. When they had arrived, the man got out to carry the groceries while Kitty hauled Caroline into the bedroom. The crying started anew when Caroline got a strong whiff of Nik's sheets.

"Thanks, I really needed the help." Kitty told the cabbie who was standing in the front hallway, having carried all of the groceries up.

"Don't worry about it love, good luck with that one." The man gestured to the bedroom and made his way back to the cab.

"Fucking hell." Kitty began to put the groceries away and went to check on Caroline. She had finally quit crying, Kitty was thankful for that, and was now fast asleep. Kitty sighed and made to take the girl's shoes off. "Come on Caro, let's shower really quick, ok?" Kitty pulled the sleeping girl up and moved to start undressing her. "Wake up Caro, please?" Kitty pulled her into the bathroom and turned the water on.

"What?" Caroline grumbled when Kitty went to take off her bra. She left Caroline to stand, but she almost immediately collapsed.

"Bath it is." Kitty was struggling to hold Caroline up and shut the drain. When she finally accomplished running a bath and undressing a comatose Caroline, she managed to swing her into the tub, only sloshing a little water on the floor. Kitty hiked up her skirt and knotted it at her thighs before sitting on the edge of the tub behind Caroline. "Take a breath." Kitty felt Caroline breathe against her legs, and she dunked the girl's head under to get her hair wet.

"Now Caro," she began to shampoo her hair, "I'm not your number one fan, but I like you. And when I like someone, I want to see them happy. Here's the thing Caro, Nik makes you happy. And the thing about happiness is that you've got to hold onto it, no matter what. Be happy Caro. Let yourself be happy. Now breathe, I'm going to dunk you again." Kitty pushed Caroline underwater again, and rubbed the shampoo out of her hair. Pulling her back up, Kitty continued, "I need to punch some serious sense into Nik, but I want him to be happy too." Kitty began to condition, "And for some reason, you make him happy Caro. Nik isn't a happy person. Nik is a normally very scary human being who enjoys putting fear into other people's lives. But you make him nice, which is strange because I've known Nik for like a year and I don't really see him happy. I mean, he smiles at Cammy and makes small talk, he likes Marcel, I annoy the shit out of him, but none of us make him happy. Dunk." Kitty dunked Caroline again and scrubbed the conditioner out. "I'm not washing you, so I'm just going to dump some soap in and hope that works. Please stay and keep him happy Caro." Kitty slid her legs out from behind Caroline and dried them with a towel, she moved to sit on the toilet and let Caroline soak.

"Come along Caro, let's get you dried off." After twenty minutes, Kitty pulled her from the tub and rubbed her down with a towel. "Can you stand?" She stepped away for a minute, and when Caroline didn't topple over, she ran and picked a short sleeved shirt of Nik's and slid it over Caroline's head. Kitty put her arm underneath Caroline's and let her lean on her as she led her back to the bedroom. "Night Caro." Kitty pulled the black out curtains shut, and left the room as Caroline slid back to sleep.


End file.
